The present invention relates generally to a turntable for displaying objects and, in particular, to a turntable for displaying large objects such as vehicles.
Turntables have been utilized for rotating relatively large objects, such as automobiles, as shown in the U.S. Pat. No. 2,075,918. In a garage or a driveway, where there is not enough space to accommodate the normal turning radius of an automobile, a turntable typically is installed in a pit such that an upper surface of the table is level with the surrounding surface on which the automobile is driven. After the automobile is driven onto the turntable, the turntable is rotated to permit the automobile to be driven off in a new direction.
Turntables also have been used in theater and motion picture stages for moving scenes and actors relative to an audience or a camera. A revolving stage is shown in the U.S. Pat. No. 1,979,363. Other uses of turntables are in manufacturing, as shown in the U.S. Pat. No. 2,075,833, or displays, as shown in the U.S. Pat. No. 2,582,623, to move objects past a fixed work or observation station.
One problem with such known turntables, especially turntables of a large diameter, is that they are relatively difficult to relocate. For example, a turntable utilized to display automobiles for a few days at a show or exhibition must be erected after the preceding event and disassembled before the next scheduled event. In addition, if the exhibitor is travelling from show to show, the turntable must be disassembled into pieces of a size suitable for transportation. Such assembly and disassembly is time consuming and subjects the pieces to potential damage. One solution to this problem has been to provide a folding turntable wherein both the rotating table and the underlying track have a center portion and a pair of flap portions connected to the center portion along hinge lines as shown in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,246,613. For transportation or storage, the flap portions of the table are folded up against the sides of a frame placed on the center portion of the table and the flap portions of the track are folded up against the flap portions of the table. Casters attached to the center portion of the table can be lowered to raise the track portion above the ground thereby permitting the turntable to be moved.